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Topic: MSA Classic D10 questions |
Robert Daniels
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 3:35 pm |
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Hello everyone and thanks for a great forum. I am a newbie on pedal steel though played 6 string for many years. I'm learning on an old 60's era Emmons student 3x4 and I love the sound of the guitar. A friend of the family has a '70s/'80s MSA classic D10 that used to belong to her deceased boyfriend. She has been unable to sell it on consignment, so I am considering buying to experiment with open tunings on the C6 neck. It has Super Sustain pickups and active electronics. I'm wondering what pickups I might be able to install that would have a more vintage sound. I've always hated active guitars and have played mostly single coil fender 6 strings. I like old country and as well as alt/country/rock and play the steel through Fender tube amps. I lust after an old Sho-Bud or Emmons D10 and have been waiting for the right deal to happen when I actually have the money! Wondering if this would be a good move for now as the price would be right. Are these guitars relatively easy to work on/modify if I wanted? Any opinions greatly appreciated.
Thanks! |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 4:47 pm
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My recollection (possibly wrong, but I thought I was told this when I was shopping in 82) is that the pickups and tone knob are passive and the battery is for the optional fuzz tone and phase shifter. If you want classic guitar and old steel tones, I think you're looking at custom pickups, steel pickups are way hot now. I'd defray some of that cost by buying one or both of those SSIIs.
I think Jerry Wallace would wind you modern pickups with a tap at 8K or so. That way you'd have both
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Robert Daniels
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 7:12 pm
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| Thanks, Lane. So can I get classic steel sounds out of the the Supersustains? I am still trying to get my ears around steel sounds, but I love the character that my Emmons has, especially when I hit the A pedal. I wouldn't want to deface a quality instrument, but I don't know if the MSA's from this period are that desirable. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 7:36 pm
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Those old MSAs are great guitars, (is it Mica or lacquer?,) but they don't sound like an Emmons. Think of an MSA as a hollow body jazz guitar, and an Emmons as a telecaster.
The secret to getting a good sound out of an MSA is to set the tone controls on the amp to bring out the instrument's inherent characteristics. If you try to make it sound like an Emmons, you just get a thin, shrill sound.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 7:48 pm
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Like Mike said, it won't be as bright as an Emmons, but it'll sound nice. if you need the brights, I wanna say Bill Lawrence sells something that'll do it. I like both sounds, myself. I gots an MSA and a Zum
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Robert Daniels
From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 8:15 pm
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Thanks Mike and Lane. I think it was Mica. That's just what I needed. I am a Tele/Strat guy on 6 string, but learned to play on an old Epiphone with humbuckers till I found my home. That said, MSA's seem to be great mechanically (changers) and I could get a single coil for not much money for now (keeping the original pick-up to return to stock). Seems like a pretty good way to go for now. Is it reasonably easy to change copedents on these guitars? I want to experiment with an open E or G on the C6th with a basic A/B type pedal for something that might work in a rock context.
Last edited by Robert Daniels on 15 Jan 2012 8:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 15 Jan 2012 8:38 pm
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Quite easy, although it does need tools; a 5/64 and 7/64 Allen wrench.
There are some handy tips in the "Adventures in Rodding" thread.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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